best places for
Hot Air Ballooning An increasing number of travellers are experiencing liftoff, enjoying unique destinations from the heightened perspective of a hot air balloon.
PHOTO BY: Balloon Adventure Emirates
WORDS BY Kim pallozzi
Loire Valley, France
With an impressive lineage, France Montgolfières Balloon Flights offers daily scheduled flights across France, with the Loire Valley being a favourite choice. Airborne excursions last three hours, including preparations and inflation, while actual flying time is one hour. Upon landing, travellers are greeted with a customary Champagne toast des Aéronautes.
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August/September 2012
PHOTO BY: France Montgolfières Balloon Co.
Western France effortlessly attracts visitors eager to sample the fruits of its abundant vineyards and rich cultural heritage. But, with over three hundred châteaux adorning its fertile landscape, the Loire Valley is also an ideal destination for hot air ballooning. Fittingly, the pleasurable pastime was invented in France by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783.